Tag Archive: core training

1. Why are you still using the plank?

   8th October 2019 11:36 am Leave a Comment

   Why are teachers and coaches still using the plank?

   

   I have no idea when this exercise was introduced but, much like the Grey Squirrel, it has eliminated its predecessors and become the dominant species.

   
   I was coaching my ‘Strength and Co-ordination’ group last night and I asked them if they did the plank at school and how teachers progressed the basic exercise.
   Archie: “They get us to run laps in between.”
   Oliver: “They just make us do it for longer.”
   At some point, these teachers will go on a conference where words like ‘disengaged’ are used.

   Progressing Core Training

   

   I never use the plank when coaching, repeat never. I would lose any last shreds of integrity if I asked the children to do a pointless busy work task that I myself would never do.
   Instead, we do bracing combined with movement.

   Last night, the ‘core training session plan looked like this:

   A: Discuss plank, why do we use it. What does it look like?
   B: Show front support, side support, back support as a more challenging task. Ask them why it is more challenging.
   C: Show heel slides (we use these frequently) and show it relates to the supports.
   D: Split into pairs, ask them to come up with a similar sequence for squats. Come up with the simple variant, the intermediate variant and the CRAZY variant.
   E: Get them to show each other and ask when they might use each. E.g. coming back from injury do the simple task.

   They set the sets and reps.
   What we got from this was:
   1: Decision making
   2: Interaction with peers, including discussion, demonstration, corrections and feedback (and laughter).
   3: Imagination and creativity.
   4: Autonomy and leadership.
   5: Quite a lot of strength work in a short time, without me having to tell them to ‘work harder.’

   Conclusion:

   None of this looked ‘perfect’, yet the athletes were doing the work themselves. I gave them hints and a framework, they cracked on with the task.
   If you are a p.e. teacher or sports coach prescribing the plank, ask yourself “What could I do better?”

   If you are interested in learning more about this type of Foundation Strength training, we have 17 spaces left on the GAIN Deep Dive with Vern Gambetta, in Uffculme, Devon in January 2020.

2. Core stability training

   31st March 2016 1:12 pm Leave a Comment

   Core training is more than just the plank

   

   Good for the circus

   An athlete has recently come back to training with me after a 6 month Hiatus. She previously had a sound core training programme using flexion, extension, rotation, stabilisation work, as well as weighted movements in different planes.
   She informs me now that her core is better because she can perform a body squat on a stability ball.

   Great- I asked her how many times she has to stand on a stability ball during a match. Her core training programme over the last 6 months has consisted of the side plank, and learning to squat on a stability ball.
   I am not saying either are bad exercises, but to limit yourself to these two is once again performing exercises that become the object of training – rather than doing exercises that enhance sporting performance.

   There is limited transfer of training effect from unstable surface training to movements on a stable surface. Instead, you are better off performing multidirectional movements loaded and unloaded at slow speeds, then faster, and routinely changing them.

   Why we never use “core stability”

   

   Bracing for weightlifting

   I avoid using the phrase core stability, instead just using the term core strength, or use the coaching cue “brace“. A  study looked at trunk muscle activation during 3 stability ball exercises and compared that to 50-100% of maximum deadlifts and squats.

   The results showed that muscle activity of the trunk during squats and deadlift was equal to or greater than that of the stability ball exercises. All our weightlifters know the importance of bracing the stomach and back muscles to keep a flat back when lifting.

   I use a 10 week core programme for beginner athletes that works on flexion, extension, stabilisation and rotation using a core ball. This is the introduction, then the athletes move on to more advanced work and get taught the big lifts. The athletes then do the stability ball work once a week for maintenance.

   It is a reminder that there is no one magic exercise or piece of equipment. Instead, a structured, progressive approach is key to safe and effective training.

3. What does Jack Wilshere have in common with a Dinosaur?

   4th December 2014 3:13 pm 4 Comments

   They both suffer from stress fractures!

   Poor old Jack Wilshere will be watching the Champion’s League Final from the comfort of his own home this week.

   Could he have helped Arsenal get to the final if he hadn’t suffered from a stress fracture in training?

   Physiotherapist Sarah Marshall looks at what we know about stress fractures and how to prevent them.

   The human problem

   Stress fractures in the human population were first reported in military recruits in the 19^th century. A stress fracture is an incomplete fracture and caused by a repeated overload to a focal point of bone.

   These injuries can occur in virtually any bone in the body but they are more commonly seen in weight bearing bones amongst runners and footballers e.g. tibia and metatarsals.

   There are many predisposing factors which can contribute to a stress fracture such as:

   • poor mechanics
   • muscle weakness / imbalance
   • training errors
   • poor footwear / training environment
   • inadequate nutrition (Vitamin D deficiency)

   Getting the diagnosis

   Stress fractures are often difficult to diagnose. Many athletes will have continued with their sport for many months before seeking medical attention. Some key things to consider are:

   • Pain will be localised to the fracture site and specifically tender on palpation.
   • Pain will be aggravated by the precipitating activity, becoming severe towards the end.
   • Swelling or bruising is not commonly seen.
   • An x-ray appearance is often normal although signs of repair can be seen at times.
   • MRI and CT scans are the investigation of choice.

   5 things to consider in management of a stress fracture

   1. Relative rest is the initial treatment of all stress fractures. If the stress fracture occurs in a weight bearing bone complete rest and / or a cast or walking boot may be prescribed for up to 8 weeks (or longer in more severe cases).
   2. The amount of recovery time and degree of rest will vary on the location, severity and healing response of the individual.
   3. Return to sport and activity must be a gradual process to enable the bone to adapt to an increased load again.
   4. Further use of investigations are not useful during this rehabilitative phase as they can be deceptive i.e. the fracture site can still be visible even when the bone itself has fully healed.
   5. Healing is best assessed clinically by the absence of tenderness on palpation and a pain free precipitating activity.

   What have Dinosaurs got to do with it?

   A study was published by Bruce Rothschild and other palaeontologists back in 2001 which studied and confirmed the presence of stress fractures in Theropod dinosaurs.

   They were able to conclude that Theropods probably sustained these overuse injuries in the lower end of their third metatarsals whilst holding struggling prey with its feet.

   Don’t train like a Dinosaur (Or Jack): Follow a correct training programme (see here)

   Always seek medical advice before commencing a running regime if you suffer from an illness or have a musculo-skeletal disorder or injury.

    Sarah Marshall 

4. What you can learn about injury prevention from mowing your lawn.

   19th March 2012 7:55 am Leave a Comment

   Training too hard too heavy too soon?

   Two weeks ago I made my first stab at mowing the lawn. After a mild winter, it has grown quite a bit and my Flymo was not up to the task.  It soon overheated.

   I was not partciularly looking forward to having to buy a whole new mower, but those cunning people at Flymo have designed it for people like me.  

   The part shown is expendable, it melted down and stopped working to avoid the motor breaking.  I could easily order this online, and fix it later in the week.

   All at a cost of less than £3. Unfortunately the human body doesn’t have such cheap spares.

   Which part of you is expendable?

   If you have had a lay off from training, or are a young athlete looking to improve in a hurry: watch out.  Your big muscles (the engine) are quite robust, but the supporting joints and appendages (the spare parts) are quite fragile.

   For example, if you are a deadlift fan, what connects the legs and back (the engine) to the actual weight? Your hands grip the weight and they hang down from the shoulder joint (the spare part).  

   If your technique is not right, and you do not progress systematically, then a weaker part like the rotator cuff could break first.

   This is especially common in throwers and racquet sports players.

   Your body is a whole, not a collection of parts

   Humans are a lot more complex than a flymo, and you can not reduce training to body part by body part.  Having a system of training allows it to adapt progressively.  Going too hard, too soon and too heavy means you will spend more time on the Physiotherapist Couch.

    You can’t order a new Rotator Cuff on ebay! 

5. Continual Professional Development in the Digital Age

   19th September 2011 8:28 pm 1 Comment

   How Technology Aids Learning

   Sharing of information has come a long way in the last decade. A quick search on the internet can reveal text, photos and videos on virtually any topic. The quality may vary, but whether we like it or not the information is out there.

    In fact, it now seems ridiculous that when I was an undergraduate in the 1990s, I used to get the tube around London to visit varying medical libraries to photocopy articles to read as part of my studies. It would often take a whole day to collect the information I was looking for.

   Nowadays, if I want to pick up some tips from recognised experts across the globe, I use my laptop or phone. Many sites have free videos and downloads, which are instantly available. A quick browse on YouTube, or a link on Twitter can instantly update me with the thoughts of respected individuals. This would have seemed impossible 10 years ago.

   On this note, I have just filmed a video for a Golf Specific iphone app. This will be accessible to anyone across the world. It will also be freely available on YouTube. I couldn’t have comprehended this concept during my undergraduate days. 

   Don’t let technology distract you.

   Continual learning is a big topic in Sports Medicine, as it is in most Professions. There are of course, many ways to learn including: reading; systematic reviews; randomly controlled trials; reading specialist books; watching DVDs; attending courses; and speaking with recognised experts. All these methods are valid, and continual learning is critical to improving your skills and outcomes. Most of us do all of these things almost sub-consciously, as we are constantly looking to improve.

   However, I have always been a big believer in learning by doing. I find that taking time away from the clinic to reflect, focus and develop can be a huge source of learning. Spending time with individuals inside and outside my own Profession, discussing, observing and interacting is almost always an inspirational experience.

   Like most people, I have learnt that I feed of the enthusiasm of others. Whilst academia in it’s various guises is important; learning by doing has a huge role to play and what’s more it can be great fun too, which is always a bonus! 

   Andy Larmour

   Chartered Physio

   Clinical Director Ocean Physio & Rehab

   Follow Andy on twitter @oceanphysio